Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Zone 12a should be read to estimate when it's possible to plant alternanthera.

Planting Calendar for Alternanthera

Frost tolerance for alternanthera:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After the last frost when the weather gets warmer.

Since alternanthera do not do well in cold weather you have to wait until after all chance of frost has passed before you can plant them.

The earliest that you can plant alternanthera in Zone 12a is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant alternanthera and expect a good harvest is probably November. Any later than that and your alternanthera may not have a chance to grow to maturity. If you are starting your alternanthera indoors then you might be able to get away with starting them a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 12a it never frosts. You can expect an average low temperature of 50°F in the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Zone 12a may not be accurate from year to year the actual date of last frost changes from year to year. Since it never frosts in Zone 12a you do not have to be ready to protect your alternanthera in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 12a

Here is the info for USDA Zone 12a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	Never
Lowest Expected Low	50°F
Highest Expected Low	55°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 50°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 55°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 12a

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 12a.